


Of Mayhem and Magic

by NicePumpkinSpice



Series: Of Sweet Memories and Guarded Moments [60]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-23
Updated: 2015-04-23
Packaged: 2018-03-25 11:27:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3808663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NicePumpkinSpice/pseuds/NicePumpkinSpice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Martha discloses some of what she and Sera were discussing at Herald's Rest.  Cullen and Evelyn admit their fears about the upcoming battle against Corypheus.  Evelyn spars with Commander Helaine while her in-laws watch in astonishment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Mayhem and Magic

When the bar maid had cleared their plates away, Cullen suggested that his parents accompany Evelyn and him to the main keep. James stood to follow his son, but Martha was still absorbed in conversation with Sera and Iron Bull who had joined them later. Evelyn was absolutely beside herself worrying what the Qunari spy and elven prankster were saying or planning. The furtive glances that the three conspirators made toward Cullen and Evelyn did nothing to allay her concerns. Cullen seemed apprehensive as well. He was frequently the target of Sera’s pranks because she claimed he often needed reminding that he was “just people.”

Eventually Martha wrapped up her discussion, and after embracing Bull, Asala, and Sera, followed Cullen out of the tavern. Evelyn tried to casually pump Martha about the conversation, but the older woman was as cagey as Leliana. _Shit... I’ll have to introduce them to Leliana, too. Evelyn, don’t be silly. Leliana is a spymaster she knows how to keep secrets... or use them for blackmail. Shit._ Evelyn’s face must have betrayed her alarm because Cullen put his arm around her waist and whispered, “Are you feeling alright?”

“I’m just a little worried about what Bull and Sera were talking to your mother about. She kept laughing and looking at us,” Evelyn answered in a low voice.

Cullen nodded, “I don’t want to worry you more, but I probably should confess something about all the pranks I pulled as a youngster.”

“A confession? Out with it.”

“My mother was the one who first put us up to them. We eventually dreamed up our own, but she was the one that gave us the fake snake to hide in the hen house.”

“That’s not good. That’s not good at all. Why did you tell me that? Now I’m going to be completely paranoid.” Evelyn started out chastising Cullen in a whisper, but her nerves got the better of her and her voice crescendoed loud enough that Martha caught her last words.

“Evelyn, honey, you needn’t worry. Sera and I weren’t planning any pranks on you. You aren’t really the type that is fun to tease. Cully, on the other hand, has years worth of payback awaiting him for the antics he pulled as a boy. I just enjoyed giving Sera some pointers. The Bull is quite perceptive and added his own suggestions for ‘mayhem’ as he preferred to call it, too.” 

“Mama, I shouldn’t be made the butt of jokes. I’m the Commander of an army,” Cullen half growled, half pleaded.

“All the more reason to keep your head from swelling,” Martha retorted.

For the rest of the evening, Evelyn and Cullen showed his parents around Skyhold. James particularly enjoyed speaking with the horse master and ribbing Dennett about the odd mounts Evelyn had acquired. Martha spent a good amount of time instructing the head cook on how to better feed her son. Evelyn was amazed that the normally hot tempered cook took all of Martha’s numerous suggestions in stride until she noticed Cole in the shadows causing the cook to forget Martha’s words soon after they were spoken. Once Martha and James had seen the majority of the keep, they retired to their guest quarters for the night.

Cullen said that he had a few things to take care of before going to bed and promised to be up as soon as possible. Evelyn headed to her room, bathed, and got dressed for bed. She read through the stacks of reports that had accumulated on her desk and noticed that it was nearly midnight. Concerned that Cullen had once again fallen asleep over paperwork, she slipped out of her nightshirt and threw on a simple mage’s robe. Her first stop was Cullen’s office, but he wasn’t there or in his bedroom. The guards on duty suggested that they hadn’t seen him in the main courtyard, so Evelyn guessed he had gone to the small chapel off the gardens. He frequently went there to pray or contemplate - particularly when his withdrawal symptoms were bad.

She found him in the chapel on his knees in front of the statue of Andraste praying a part of the chant most often reserved for funerals. Even though their losses in the Arbor Wilds had been light, Evelyn knew Cullen took each death of those under his command to heart. She silently joined him in prayer until the end of the verse and then approached him. “A prayer for you?” she asked hoping to draw him out. 

Cullen admitted the prayer was for those that had been lost but then added it was also for those he was scared to lose. Evelyn closed her eyes. They had been purposefully avoiding this conversation since the Arbor Wilds. Although Evelyn desperately wished that their victory there had ended Corypheus’ plans, both she and Cullen knew to expect another battle. Solas, who had yet to be incorrect in his predictions about Corypheus, had told her that the magister would attempt another attack no matter how suicidal just to show his spite toward the world. In her heart, Evelyn knew Solas’ words were true.

All of Evelyn’s fears began to whisper to her, but the loudest, the most painful was that she might not survive the next encounter and that this beautiful, wonderful man before her would be left alone. She needed to tell him not to grieve too long for her and to find someone else to love should she fall. His happiness meant everything to her. “Cullen, if I can’t... if I don’t...” she began as tears pooled in her eyes.

“Maker, no.” Cullen stopped her from finishing and held her closely to his chest, “Whatever happens you will come back.”

Evelyn wanted so much to believe his words, but Varric was likely right - the hero in this type of story rarely returned. Still some part of her hoped that she would find a way to end Corypheus and still make it home. “I certainly hope so,” was all she could manage. To promise or dream for more seemed to tempt fate too much.

Her resignation was nearly too much for Cullen to bear. “The thought of losing you. I can’t,” he said with such heartbreak that Evelyn resolved that she would claw her way back to him even if she had to come back from the Void itself. She clung to Cullen more tightly drawing on his need and love for her to build her own will to fight and prevail. Defeat could not be an option - not with him waiting for her return. 

***************************

The next morning Cullen and Evelyn met his parents for breakfast in the main hall. “Did you rest well?” Cullen inquired.

“It was wonderful. The room was so pretty, and the servants put chocolates on the pillows and turned down the bedding for us. It felt like we were royalty,” Martha enthused.

“The bed was comfortable. Martha ate my chocolate, though,” James added sullenly.

“Mama still has a sweet tooth then,” Cullen commented and then turned to Evelyn. “Pop would get us candy whenever we went to town with him. We all knew that we’d better have it eaten before we got home, or Mama would confiscate it. She said it was for our health, but we’d find her snacking on it later. Pop, you should have known to stuff that chocolate in your mouth the second you laid eyes on it.”

“It _was_ for your health, Cullen Stanton,” Martha chided, “Sweets aren’t good for growing bodies. Besides, your brother and you were always wound up enough without adding sugar to the mix.”

“Your mother is an unrepentant candy thief,” James said bitterly still clearly mourning his absconded chocolate.

Evelyn leaned over to James and whispered, “Our ambassador always keeps a stash of chocolates in her desk. I’m sure she’d share if you told her what happened.”

James brightened considerably and returned to eating his breakfast.

“So what are the plans for today?” Martha asked.

“Normally, I would be sparring or training recruits, but I’m still on light duty. I’m afraid the only activity I’ll see today is leading an assault on mounds of paperwork. Perhaps Evelyn has something more exciting planned,” Cullen related.

“You’d be welcome to watch me train with Commander Helaine this morning. After that, I’m swamped with diplomatic and war council meetings,” Evelyn grumbled.

“Not to worry, dear. Sera and I were thinking of baking cookies together later today,” Martha chirped.

“And Varric has invited me to join in one of his standing games of Wicked Grace,” James mentioned.

“I hope you’re better at that game than your son. His last defeat was quite memorable,” Evelyn teased.

“I’m never playing another card game,” Cullen moaned.

James looked amused. “Sounds like there’s quite the story to be had. I’ll have to ask Varric to share it.”

“Maker, no!” Cullen yelped and then tried to cover, “It wasn’t anything that interesting. I just lost a great deal of coin.”

“And all your dignity as well as a few other things if I remember correctly,” Evelyn giggled.

Cullen glared at her and asked, “Don’t you have some training to do?”

“You’re quite testy this morning, Commander, but you’re right. Commander Helaine will be expecting me soon. Mr. and Mrs. Rutherford, if you want to watch me train, you’ll want to come now. We go outside Skyhold to keep from drawing a crowd.” 

“Drawing a crowd?” Martha quizzed.

“Seeing two mages engaged in combat tends to do that,” Cullen noted with a smile. “It amazes me how infrequently either of you get hurt. Unlike warriors who can use dull or wooden practice weapons for sparring, mages fight with real spells.”

“We tone down their intensity, but it is still dangerous,” Evelyn admitted. “Cullen do you think you could come as well? It might help to have someone explaining what they’re seeing.”

“That’s a good idea, and if my boss is excusing me from paperwork who am I to argue?” Cullen agreed.

Two templars and Commander Helaine were waiting at Skyhold’s main gate. Cullen introduced his parents to them. Helaine was not pleased with Cullen and his parents tagging along. “If there are any distractions or disturbances, I will see them removed,” she barked authoritatively. Martha looked concerned, but Evelyn whispered, “She’s always like that. I’ve yet to see her smile, and we’ve been training together for over six months.”

“Why are the templars coming, dear?” Martha inquired.

“It’s a safety precaution taken at my insistence,” Evelyn replied. “They can subdue magic in case things get out of hand. We’ve never needed them, but I appreciate their presence.”

“Couldn’t Cully do that?” Martha asked.

Evelyn looked at Cullen who let his hand travel to the back of his neck before he placed it by his side and spoke, “I left the Order over a year ago.”

“Yes, but you didn’t forget your training in that time, did you?” Martha pushed.

Cullen looked at the two templars that were with them. No one outside of Cassandra, Evelyn, and Dorian knew that he no longer took lyrium. “No, I haven’t forgotten my training, but certain templar abilities require the use of lyrium. I stopped taking it when I left the Order.’’

Lynette, a young templar, gasped, “Commander!”

The other templar Aaron, who was more seasoned, looked at Cullen warily.

“I would appreciate your discretion with this information,” Cullen said to the stunned templars. 

“This lyrium ... it’s addictive?” James asked.

“Yes, although that is something the Chantry doesn’t want widely known.” Cullen answered. “The process of withdrawal is... difficult, but I’m proof it is possible.” Cullen said while looking at the templars directly.

“Maker, I thought stopping was a guaranteed death sentence. Maybe I could...” Aaron began.

“You absolutely could, Ser Aaron, and I would be glad to help,” Cullen stated.

“I’ll think on it, Commander.”

“This should be far enough from Skyhold. Shall we, Commander Helaine?” Evelyn asked while summoning a barrier. “Cullen, if you stay in the clearing over there, I promise to not shock you,” she added with a wink.

Cullen escorted his parents to the clearing while Helaine and Evelyn squared off. The two templars stood a safe distance from the mages ready to react if necessary.

“Cully, what did that young man mean about stopping lyrium being a death sentence?” Martha asked.

“Quitting lyrium is difficult, Mama. Some people die or kill themselves from withdrawal symptoms. Most just return to taking a regular dose. I’ve been through the worst although the craving will likely always remain. My freedom from that life was worth the suffering,” Cullen said while he pointed out with a nod that Helaine and Evelyn were sparring.

James clapped Cullen on the back and said, “I’m proud of you, son.” Martha started crying but turned where Cullen couldn’t see her. A flash of lightning soon drew everyone’s attention to the two mages.

“Is that a skull on top of Evelyn’s staff?” Martha asked in horror.

Cullen chuckled, “Yes, she found the staff in the Western Approach. Don’t worry - the skull was already attached. It’s her favorite staff. She even named the blasted thing Tempest. It casts frost based spells which compliments Evelyn’s tendency to work with fire and lightning spells.”

“Maker! They’re throwing fire at each other. How are they not getting burned?” 

“Mama, they have magical barriers in place. Also those aren’t very strong fireballs. They’re holding back so as not to inadvertently hurt each other. I expect one of them will stop fighting from range soon and begin a melee attack.”

“Melee?” James questioned. “I thought all mages worked from a distance. Wilhelm, the mage in our company, certainly did. Although he did have that giant golem, he directed to fight for him in close quarters.”

“Evelyn and Helaine are Knight Enchanters. They can summon a spectral blade and fight as warriors.”

“Fire, lightning, ice... Cully, did mages ever cast those against you?” Martha asked clearly worried.

“Mama, don’t worry about it. I was well trained, and I’m still standing. Ah, Ev made the first move. See how she fade stepped right up to Helaine. She’s marvelous with that sword. I can’t believe she’s only been a Knight Enchanter a few months.”

“They’re so fast with their blades,” James commented.

“The spectral blades are weightless, but they’re able to slash through things as if they were great swords. The skill makes Ev nearly invincible against normal opponents,” Cullen said with obvious pride.

“Ouch, Helaine got a good blow in there. Ev will be angry about that one,” Cullen remarked. “Look at that. Ev just laid an ice slick behind Helaine, and she’s pressing Helaine backward. Down she goes! That’s a point for Ev, although Helaine may say she cheated.”

Cullen and his parents continued watching Helaine and Evelyn spar. James kept shaking his head in disbelief while Martha took to cheering loudly much to Helaine’s chagrin. When the sparring session ended, Evelyn walked over to them and said, “Whew, that was a workout. Ready to head back to the Keep? I think I’ve just enough time to clean up before the war council convenes.”

**Author's Note:**

> Getting close to the end game now. Expect another update for this story in four to five days. I'm continuing to write my new series, "Finding Joy," concurrently with this one. It's up to five chapters and gets updated nearly every day.


End file.
